Eminem and 'N Sync Big VMA Winners

Sept. 8 -- The notorious rapper Eminem took some heat from protesters outside Radio City Music Hall, but inside, his bad boy act reigned supreme.

He marched out of the MTV Video Music Awards as the big winner after singing his signature hit “The Real Slim Shady,” collecting honors for Video of the Year, Best Male Video and sharing Best Rap Video for “Forgot About Dre.” He was nominated for six awards overall.

In the hours leading up to the show, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation protested against MTV, angry at the network’s support of Eminem. The group claims his lyrics promote violence against homosexuals and women. And yet he brought the crowd to its feet with his second song, apparently addressing his critics with the angry rap, “I am whatever you say I am.”

True to form, it was a wild evening with plenty of scantily clad musicians and flying obscenities. The oddest moment came when Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim C. climbed the set as Limp Bizkit accepted the award for Best Rock Video for “Break Things.”

Bizkit lead singer Fred Durst got a kick out of the gesture, saying, “Stage dive dude.” Meanwhile, guitarist Wes Borland praised the stunt. “This guy is rock ’n’ roll,” he said. “He should be getting the award.”

What he did get was arrested after being hustled out of Radio City Music Hall and handcuffed. One ofRage Against the Machine’s bodyguards was also arrested for obstructing justice.

One of the best jokes was unspoken: Napster founder Shawn Fanning appeared on stage in a Metallica T-shirt. The heavy metal band is leading the fight to stop Fanning’s Internet song-sharing service. Fanning joked that he had some help with his wardrobe, “actually a friend of mine shared it with me.”

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich struck back in a pre-taped video in which he raided a dorm room saying “sharing’s only fun when it’s not your stuff.” Proving the fans are not on his side about the issue, Ulrich met a barrage of boos and cat calls at the end of the show when he introduced the final musical act, Blink 182.